Ayurvedic Herbs (Letter S)
Sandalwood tree (santalum alba)
Sandalwood or white sandalwood or chandana
Ayurveda Characteristic and Uses
- Effect on doshas – Balances Pitta and Kapha
- Taste – Bitter, sweet
- Energetics – Cooling
- Main Traditional Action: Cooling to body, skin
- Other Traditional Uses: Help treats skin conditions, anxiety, inflammation, calming to an aggravated nervous or digestive system, used for treating the common cold, cough, bronchitis, fever, and sore mouth and throat. It is also used to treat urinary tract infections (UTIs), liver disease, gallbladder problems, heatstroke, gonorrhea, headache, and conditions of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease).
Modern Research
Sandalwood and its components have been shown to have antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, anti-Helicobacter pylori, antihyperglycemic, antihyperlipidemic, and chemoprotective effects. It has also been shown to reduce anxiety in palliative care patients to help prevent skin cancers caused by both UV radiation and toxic chemical exposure and induces apoptosis in human prostrate cancer cells by causing caspase-3 activation.
Ayurvedic Herbs (Letter S)
